Herbie Rides Again (1974)

Another of my favorite movies from childhood, I classify this movie as being as good as the original for a number of reasons.

Lines, this movie has a lot of funny lines and good actors. I can still today go back and look at the film and laugh at some of the scenes and lines in this film.

Another good thing in this film is footage. Herbie is literally everywhere in this film.

Yes it gets a bit corny at times but its not so corny as to be unwatchable. The film has aged and it really does show its era, but that doesn't detract from it's enjoyability factor. This is a good family movie even if it does have a few scenes that boarder on pg.

Fmovies: The best thing about this horrible movie is the opening scene which shows real-life footage of large buildings being demolished.

The worst thing is the theology behind the story, as espoused by no less an actress than veteran Helen Hayes whose character claims that everything has a soul and a life to it - and that's why the car, he organ, the train all can understand each other and human minds!! This is Walt Disney "New Age" baloney 20 years ahead of it's time.

Later on, spells are cast, etc, typical of Disney films. Walt was a big fan of the occult and believed in all that sort of thing. Pretty pathetic.

We know where Herbie's "soul" is right now: Junkyard Hell, where it belongs!

The thing that brought this film down the most was that the only original character was the VW. I much preferred Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo for two main reasons. Firstly the main character (Jim Douglas) was there and secondly because the plot was more about the car. This film felt more like a regular comedy that happened to involve Herbie. I would've rather the film to be more about the car rather than just involving him (as the original and Monte Carlo were). Funny moments saved the film from total lameness, as did the amusing 1974 special effects (was there really as many special effects people involved as were listed in the credits to get these results?). Not all the charm of the lovable car was lost on the plot that didn't involve him as he still played his part when the chips were down. In terms of acting, Herbie was obviously the best performance followed (albeit by a large margin) by Keenan Wynn as the baddie. I think he actually did a better job as the baddie than David Tomlinson did in the original 1968 film The Love Bug.

Herbie Rides Again fmovies. In the first movie, Herbie was a real personality and he could be jealous, angry, depressed or suicidal and even intoxicated. The viewer saw that there was a special bond between car and owner. But in this sequel, again set in San Francisco, the bond is with Helen Hayes and Herbie instead of the man. Stephanie Powers as the love interest is too violent and aggressive, and her character played against the wimpy Ken Berry comes across as downright harsh--there is no chemistry between them (unlike Dean Jones and Michelle Lee in the original film). In various scenes, she is seen assaulting Berry.In one scene they are having lunch at Fisherman's Wharf and she stands up and smacks him in the face with a lobster ("He's YOUR uncle?!") Is this really supposed to be funny?

But in this uninspired sequel, the real star is Helen Hayes--not the car and certainly not with Ken Berry, who merely becomes a supporting character in this. Helen Hayes, as an old lady battling a developer, is seen in various life-threatening situations in the movie. In various surreal scenes, Haye's character is knitting while riding Herbie,impervious to the danger around her as Herbie scales a skyscraper or rides atop the Golden Gate Bridge. She is sickeningly sacharrin sweet but she plays her scenes well.

The climax of this movie is weak, and it is really a collection of surreal scenes involving Herbie and Helen Hayes. There is no romance and no racing, both of which were key elements which made the original such a success. This movie was made in the transitional period, between the really great Disney classics like "Mary Poppins" and the excellent productions that Disney puts out today. The movie and plot are very predictable as is the inevitable outcome. Naturally, there's no way that the outcome is realistic as city zoning laws forbid houses in a district of skyscrapers.

Prior to "The Love Bug", "Herbie Rides Again" is a high octane movie where our favorite VW Bug has an adventure of a different sort. This time around he takes on a greedy land developer named Alonzo Hawk(Keenan Wynn) who has a tough time trying to tear down a antique firehouse owned by a tough widow name Mrs. Steimetz(Helen Hayes). In order to give the land to him he gets his bumbling nephew, Wiloughby Whitfield (Ken Berry) to do his dirty work. When he discovers Hawk's scheme, he joins forces with Steinmetz and Nicole Harris(Stefanie Powers). Nicole is a tough willed woman to be reckoned with. All the scenes of this movie is magic. I liked the part where Hawk was dreaming and all the sheep in his dreams turned into Volkswagons with sharp teeth, and he acted like King Kong. The best part is where Herbie gathered all the VW Bugs against Hawk and his invaders. But Mr. Judson (John McIntire) helped some in saving the firehouse. Volkswagons were the bomb and they still are. If you like cars like that, this movie is for you! Knight Rider's got nothing on this one. 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Herbie Rides Again is a great family comedy. The funniest part in the movie was when Herbie and all of his volkswagen friends chased Alonso Hawke down the streets of San Francisco. That part is hilarious and priceless. Children and adults will love this movie and the other Herbie movies too. Go out and buy all of the Herbie movies. You won't regret it.